"When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he
will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he
will declare to you the things that are to come."

I was sitting and speaking in a group the other day when the word affirmation dropped like a feather onto our laps to expose. No one was certain at its magtitude or gravity, therefore, breeching the subject so lightly wondering its affect on the other members. Yet, affirmations are a mindset so powerful, that if we include these into our daily mental dialogue, several times a day, there is no way but up for our personal self-esteem. But, the sad fact is, we do so little to combine this into our daily aspect of life, and we wonder why nothing good seems to pan out on dark days.

I can tell you it made me take a good look at the inner dialogue that inundates my brain most days. I may not have felt comfortable sharing my thoughts with others, but I noted the positive affect it could have if I began practicing affirmations in the morning and again at night. It is true; I'm not a negative self-thinker, on the contrary I try to stay positive most days despite those rotten days we all come across from time to time. In fact, I am one of those individuals that wakes up happy and full of life in the morning. But, I went on an Internet search anyway and noticed some wonderful affirmations that I hadn't given much thought to previously. If you are not sure what an affirmation is let me share some with you: Affirmations for Love

* I know that I deserve Love and accept it now
* I give out Love and it is returned to me multiplied
* I rejoice in the Love I encounter everydayAffirmations for Weight Loss
* I am the perfect weight for me
* I choose to make positive healthy choices for myself
* I choose to exercise regularlyAffirmations for Health

* Every Cell in my body vibrates with energy and health
* Loving myself heals my life. I nourish my mind, body and soul
* My body heals quickly and easily All you have to do is collect those that are most important to you, write them down and began meditating on them twice daily. You will notice renewed spirit and God's hand directing you as you open your heart to positive energy.

Daily Guidance

1. If you're interested in a good affirmation list go to Positive Affirmations and select your favorites, marking them on an index card for future use.

"And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints."

We all know someone heavy-hearted. These are the people your heart just breaks as you pray and wonder what is it that you can offer that will lift their burden. These individuals always seem to have a stream of bad luck. In fact, at any given time of the day, conversations with them always pivot on the gloom-and-doom spectrum.

Donna was one of those spiritual individuals. Her life was long already, and at age 73 she could quickly tell you a mini time frame of her life that was ridden with strife. She told me once, "Where is God? He seems to sic the enemy on me always." She was a believer in God, but could not understand why he had not taken care of her as the Bible states. All her memories were ridden with failure. Nothing she achieved in life was worth bragging about. She felt God had left her and was incapable of hearing her cries and prayers.

As prayer partners we are often faced with situations that we know the Enemy has his talons wrenched deeply. We know Satan is behind each door looking for the faint- hearted. He preys on discouragement, deception, doubt, or despair. When I was talking to Donna I was reminded of such. I was touched by God to tell Donna she was not seeing things from HIS perspective. We prayed together and after we prayed I began asking her about her children. She immediately relaxed and with the brightest smile began telling me of their adventures and milestones of life.

Christians are asked not to be passive in the battle against Satan. In fact, in Ephesians 6, Paul speaks of the armor of God. Paul admonishes us not to allow ourselves to become casualties, but instead to stand against the devil's schemes. He goes on to tell us of the amour of God which includes:

Truth. Speak truth instead of gossiping.

Righteousness. Do what is right instead of being clouded by racial intolerance, greed, or anger.

Readiness. When God calls us to a task - do it!

Gospel of Peace. Use the testimony of Jesus Christ to promise peace to believers.

Faith. Believe God will protect you.

Salvation. Recognized you are saved already by the Lord.

Bible. Use the Bible to quote passages to help others.

Prayer. Pray without ceasing.

When these weapons are used together we have true faith and our life will glorify him.

At the end of our conversation I said nothing. There was nothing more to say, something had erupted in Donna's soul that spoke real truth. She looked up at me and smiled. "I guess it is all in the eye of the beholder," she said. Maybe my expectations were to high to begin with.

"My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done."

Have you ever stood face-to-face with a person that you just knew from that first moment you were going to be great friends? That's how it was with Lydia. I set eyes on her at a faculty meeting, and from afar, I felt an innate kinship with this woman, like none I've felt before.

From the instant we began talking there was parallelism in our lives. We shared the same moments in history at a different place and a different time. You see, Lydia was 18 years my senior, yet that age barrier held no resistance when it came to comradery. We laughed, joked, and spoke of troubled times. We set aside weekend nights for fellowship, food, and fun. These nights would often overflow into the wee hours of the morning as we lost time in a discussion only she and I could comprehend. We planned a "girl trip" to do some white water rafting, something neither of us experienced but wanted to, when my children grew up as her family had. We planned camping excursions in the future after she lost her husband when my family time would free up.

I was sitting outside my school enjoying the fresh morning rays when I got the phone call from her daughter. "Mom has had a massive stroke, she's in the hospital," she whispered. "It doesn't look good." The floor situated at the bottom of my life let loose and a flow of emotions came forth making me unable to speak or think. I knew I just had to get to that hospital.

Later that week I was told that she had signed a living will. She wanted no medical interventions should a stroke disable her life. She was brought home on a dreary day, quietly to her daughter's house- to die. I visited her for bit there, as long as I could, wondering if there was even the remote chance that she would heal enough to speak. There were times I knew she tried to reach out to me. Let me know that she knew I was there, but her speech was garbled and unrecognizable. All I could think of was what an inhumane way to die. Hospice was called and made her last days bearable, but still for a living counterpart it was grief beyond belief to watch someone deteriorate that way. All the time I kept praying more ferociously that God would bring her senses back from the abyss. Towards the end I was told that it was family time from this point on, and it was best I said my goodbyes. Heartbroken and confused I left that afternoon knowing full well I'd never see her again.

On those last moments on the the cross Jesus prayed.

"My father, if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will." (Luke 22:42)

My father, if it is not possible for this cup to be taken away unless I drink it, may your will be done." (Matthew 26:42)

Jesus prayed for whatHEwanted but also what his heavenly Father would want. It's a dichotomy of prayer to lay before God what we want and then sincerely request that God's will b done. In reality it is an honest, human prayer. It's also a good heaven-seeking prayer. In the time of the actual prayer process the actual words are thought and realized then accepted and said. This is the type of prayer that becomes and instrument of God's will. Isn't the purpose of our lives to accomplish His known will?

Prayer isn't a formula to get what we want. I realize that now. I can't get in God's head and see what his motives are. I must just trust knowing God knows best. The answer is It is God's decision, and he alone knows best. So I now pray during desperate times "thy will be done" and allow God to let me ride on the edge of his daily grace, which at this point is sufficient for me.

"They devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer."

No man should try to be an island. That is well said for someone who does not have a few nuances in his life that are often pointed out by close friends and family that amount to mere personal speculation with no experience.

Connie has a boy on the higher end of the autism spectrum. He is intermittently viewed in fits of frustration and overwhelming anxiety when new situations arise or present circumstances are unable to be controlled. For the most part he's a good kid. He has a tremendous sentimental heart that is loyal when anyone needs him. His emotions are usually childlike as he encounters playful tasks that can often be viewed as refreshing. Most importantly, he has a zest for life and often draws others in his contentment when they are depressed are confused.

But there are those dark days of frustration and anxiety. It has inhibited her son developmentally from attaining the usual milestones in life. In fact, he is a bit behind as he meanders up life's path. It is during these times she can be inundated with so much unwanted advice. Friends, or who Connie dubs as friends, are quick to point out the common mistakes she's made. Of course these comrades are speaking from a lone voice of raising a normal child. Not one, of course, has a child diagnosed as such. So, these fleeting comments over the years have been brushed under the rug as Connie struggles to meet parental exceptions. In turn, she spends less time with family and friends in hopes of saving what little self worth she and her son has.

In Acts we're told that the believers "devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer" (2:42). They studied the Bible together, worshiped together, and prayed together. Doing all this together would have allowed union and time for teaching, questioning, correcting, and encouraging.

In fact Hebrews said, "Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but lest us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching." (Hebrews 10:25) If those early Christians needed each other's teaching and encouragement, surely we must as well. When we're alone we are easier prey for Satan's darts that include: discouragement, doubt, despair, or deception.

So Connie prayed. She knew the Bible promised encouragement with an entourage that was hand picked for her. Shortly thereafter she found a new job opening in a facility that worked closely with higher functioning autistic children. One day, when she was at rock bottom, she began complaining to a fellow employee about her son. She quickly pulled up her guard expecting the usual rebuttle. Instead, she found a circuit of love, support, and understanding. This was completely unexpected yet welcomed. Connie began gaining new insight from her new coworkers that helped support her child's needs. Hence, she needed less support from her family and friends in this area concentrated more on the fun side of life when they were around.

Father,I pray that you surround me with friends and familywho can encourage me, support me, and nurture mewith _____________________________. I knowthat you will forge a new path and support me in myendeavor. Amen.